Electrical connectors for automobiles are subjected to broad ranges of temperature, moisture, vibrations, and occasional direct contact. As a result, electrical connectors intended for automotive applications should provide an environmentally sealable housing that can lockingly receive and protect electrically conductive terminals therein, and that can lockingly engage a mating connector. Automobile manufacturers also generally require terminal position assurance (TPA) means to positively assure that the electrically conductive terminals are properly seated in the housing of the connector. It also is desirable to provide an electrical connector that is easy to assemble and easy to mate.
The prior art includes many electrical connectors that provide some assurance of positive locked engagement of the terminals therein and that lockingly mate with another connector. The prior art further includes various environmental sealing means for electrical connectors.
A typical prior art connector intended for automotive applications is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,542 which issued to Coller et al. on Dec. 10, 1985. The electrical connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,542 includes a housing with pairs of terminal receiving cavities extending therethrough. The terminal receiving cavities in each pair are separated by a pair of forwardly projecting deflectable latches for engaging terminals inserted therein. The terminals are inserted into the respective cavities from the rear of the housing, and cause the latches to initially deflect and then resiliently return to engage the terminal. The connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,542 further includes a TPA component which is slid into the forward end of the housing. If the terminals are properly seated and locked, the TPA component will advance between the forwardly projecting latches in each pair. If any terminal is not properly seated, the TPA component will not fully advance into the forward end of the electrical connector housing. The electrical connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,542 does not provide means for aligning terminals with interior forwardly disposed portions of the terminal receiving cavities. Thus, terminal insertion can be difficult and the small terminals can be damaged. Furthermore, the housing typically will be manufactured in one location and shipped to another location where the terminated leads are inserted. The provision of an entirely separate TPA component which also must be shipped to the location where the terminals are inserted can create inventory control problems. Additionally, the deflectable terminal locking means shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,542 may be weaker and permit greater terminal movement than a comparable terminal locking means on a nondeflectable structure. Still further, the forwardly disposed TPA component can interfere with seals in a pair of mating connectors.
Another such electrical connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,437 which issued to Dyki on Dec. 22, 1987. The connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,437 also includes pairs of terminal receiving cavities in an electrical connector housing. The wall between each pair of terminal receiving cavities is defined in part by a pair of forwardly projecting deflectable levers. The latches in the connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,437 are not disposed on the deflectable levers, but rather are static and are rigidly disposed on exterior walls of the electrical connector housing. As noted above, this may provide additional locking strength and positively position the terminals. However, the connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,437 suffers similar deficiencies to the previously described connector in that the TPA component is forwardly mounted after insertion of the terminals, and therefore can contribute to inventory control problems and can interfere with seals on mating structures. Furthermore, it may be difficult to properly align the terminals during insertion into the housing since the area of minimum cross section in the terminal receiving cavity is disposed well forwardly of the rear entry to the housing.
Still another similar electrical connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,372 which issued to Betsui on June 7, 1988. The connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,372 also includes a pair of forwardly projecting latches disposed intermediate a pair of terminal receiving cavities. The TPA component is insertable into the forward end of the connector, thereby providing at least some of the deficiencies explained above. However, the exteriorly disposed portion of the TPA component is severable from portions thereof inserted into the housing. The connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,372 provides no means for aligning the terminals for insertion into the housing.
A more efficient wire-to-wire electrical connector for automotive applications is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,813 which is issued to Wilson et al. on Oct. 11, 1988 and which is assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. The connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,813 includes an electrical connector housing with a TPA component that is mounted to the rear of the housing. Thus, the TPA component does not interfere with seals between the electrical connector to which it is mounted and a mating connector. Additionally, in the embodiment depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,813, the TPA component is urged against a seal disposed in the rearward end of the electrical connector housing to contribute to sealing the rear of the connector. The connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,813 has proved to be very successful. However, it is desirable to provide even further improvements to such electrical connectors. More particularly, it is now considered desirable to provide an electrical connector with even stronger locking of the terminals therein and wherein alignment of the terminals to terminal receiving cavities in the housing is achieved to facilitate assembly of the electrical connector. It is also now considered to be desirable to provide greater assurance that the seals on the mating end of the connector do not interfere with locking structure on the connectors.
Other electrical connectors with terminal locking means and/or with terminal position assurance means are shown in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,452 which issued to Sian et al. on May 2, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,205 which issued to O'Grady on Mar. 7, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,617 which issued to Oda on Nov. 15, 1988; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,508 which issued to Sueyoshi on Dec. 8, 1987. The connectors in these references, however, do not provide for the most efficient terminal locking, terminal alignment during assembly and sealing during mating.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an improved electrical connector for automotive applications.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide an electrical connector which enables efficient alignment of the terminals for facilitating assembly of the connector.
It is an additional object of the subject invention to provide an electrical connector with a TPA component which contributes to sealing and to terminal alignment.
Still a further object of the subject invention is to provide an electrical connector having efficient sealing means at the mating end thereof.